Re:Neighborhood Cats / Poncirus trifoliata

Hm...interesting.  These that my mom has on her tree are not small and  fuzzy 
at all.  They are like regular oranges.  I have a trifoliate  orange in a pot 
that I was going to graft on, but haven't gotten a chance...it  produced 
fruit, which although smaller than mom's are also like regular oranges,  just much 
more sour.  Too sour to eat, although I've been known to love  sour things. 
 
We have mock oranges around here too......Philadelphus texensis....now they  
do put out fuzzy small fruit that is inedible.  The tree, although also  
evergreen, is more ornamental looking, to me.
 
Speaking of the Poncirus trifoliata......there is a variety here, Jim you  
might know if it has a cultivar name, or a subspecies......here we call it P.  
trifoliata "flying dragon".   It is also used for root stock here in  Texas, 
but when it comes to growing it on it's own, I much prefer it over the  regular 
P. trifoliata.    It's thorns are downward turned, rather  than sticking 
straight out like the trifoliate, the growth habit is more linear  and 
narrow.....instead of tree shaped.  And the part I love best, the  branches are all 
twisted and narled, kind of like a Harry Lauder walking stick  (which unfortunately 
doesn't grow here....one of my favorites).  So it is  quite decorative as well 
as a great barrier.  
 
Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast
 
In a message dated 3/21/2006 11:02:36 PM Central Standard Time,  
gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:

My aunt  had a whole copse of them since she let the fruits fall and seed. 
They  were about 10 feet tall or higher and were virtually impenetrable. Yes, 
 
there are fruits.  They are like fuzzy little lemons with scads of  seeds. 
My aunt used to make what she called lemonade out of them, but they  were 
called "mock oranges" where I grew up.  I didn't learn about  real mock 
oranges until I was grown.   Mine is about six feet  tall but has not 
produced anything yet.  There is a really old one at  a house here in town 
that is like a small  tree.

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